MY STORIES:

• Raising awareness helps reduce the number of homeless LGBT youth
• University of Utah LGBT Resource Center breaks “out of the closet,” allowing for improvement, greater student outreach
• The future of homeless LGBT youth in Salt Lake City

MY BLOG: 

I decided on my final story for this class almost immediately. I found I was most interested in homeless LGBT youth, and I discovered it with our first in-class interview with Brandie Balken, the executive director of Equality Utah. The reason it intrigued me so much, is because I am a journalism major and I didn’t even know anything about it. I thought to myself, “how could this be happening to so many youth?”

This is why I decided to write about it, and thought it was such an important topic that needs to be covered. These kids are being kicked out for being gay, and ultimately I thought it was extremely wrong. I ended up writing two stories about it for this class, and my final enterprise story was about what needs to be done for this problem to get better.

This also became a topic I wrote about in my opinion column at the Daily Utah Chronicle. This led me to write several columns, not just about homeless LGBT youth, but about equal rights in general and some of the things that really bother me. I find these articles are always more fun to write when they are both something I am passionate about and something controversial. And in Utah, LGBT topics are very much up for debate.

It was very difficult for me to remain objective, because I love this topic so much and have very strong beliefs on equal rights for all. The first day of class when I heard this was to be our beat we would cover, I let out a big, “yesssss” (in my head). While I am sure several people were probably not very thrilled about the topic we were going to cover, I was ecstatic. So, this made it hard while covering the topic. I had to rewrite several times, because I kept trying to slip my opinion in there. This was also extra difficult, because I have been writing opinion for over a year now.

Overall, I feel like I learned a lot and I have been inspired to volunteer at the homeless youth center, which I hope to do when I get a break from my busy schedule. I also discovered many of the health issues that LGBT and specifically transgender individuals face, and this is another topic that has sparked my interest. I hope to keep writing about these important issues if for no other reason than to inform the public about what is really going on.

ABOUT ME: 

I am a senior at the University of Utah working toward a bachelor’s degree in mass communication with a minor in integrative human biology. I write opinion columns for the Daily Utah Chronicle mostly for fun, because I like talking politics and expressing ideas about other topics I am interested in.

I have a passion for writing and for health sciences. I have covered science and medical news for the Daily Utah Chronicle in the past and for the Leonardo Museum blog. I also have a passion for human-interest topics, which I have reported on at the Tooele Transcript Bulletin and for various journalism classes.

I plan to apply for graduate school in the summer of 2013 at a few different universities, specifically UC Berkeley. I hope to start a master’s degree in public health in the fall of 2014, and I aspire to a career in international health writing and administration.

I have a 3-year-old son, with whom I enjoy spending all of my days off. I am a killer barista at a local coffee shop, where I make extra money to pay for my yoga and snowboarding passes. I enjoy photography and other means of expressing myself through chalk art and drawing tattoos.

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MY STORIES: 

• Equality for Utahns based on awareness

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MY STORIES:

• 2013: LGBTQ equality in Utah? It has a fighting chance
• Annual Gay-La and Silent Auction raise funds for the U’s LGBT Resource Center
• You don’t have to die alone from AIDS in Utah

MY BLOG:

Learning how to become a journalist is difficult. Learning the art of journalism is nearly impossible.

I have chosen to take the road of the unfamiliar and the impossible in the hope of becoming a good broadcast journalist with the goal of one day becoming an artist in this field.

My intention is not to become a media star or a person who is concerned with their self-interests.

My interest in journalism is simple: I want to help my community learn its voice and stand up against the interests that disenfranchise our community’s most vulnerable populations.

Moreover, I want to help provide a medium, with a variant social demographic that will voice my community’s struggles and its successes.

In order for me to achieve this career path I must learn how to communicate perfectly. I also must learn to have zero fear when it comes to participating within my community.

When I first started this class, intermediate journalism, I intellectually understood that it would be difficult and that I would most likely become a better writer when the class finished.

What I didn’t understand until the semester ended was that this class was designed to change my life in a positive way.

I also learned that my professor wasn’t interested in designing a class that was mundane and a place to find an easy “A.” Rather, this class broke down all my weaknesses, showed them to me and challenged me to correct my fears and discomforts.

For the first time in my students career I really had to have a discussion with myself and decide if having a career in journalism was a goal that I wanted to achieve.

With the tools that this class has provided me I am more confident than ever that this world could potentially have a place for me as a journalist.

I have a long road to travel in order to reach my goals, but I am forever grateful for the opportunity that the U has provided for me.

I am also humble and thankful to the U for its constant encouragement that I receive on a day-to-day basis.

ABOUT ME:

I am a 32-year-old man who returned to the University of Utah not just to finish my degree(s) but to learn how to communicate.

I currently work with The PAC-12 Network and K-UTE Radio (University of Utah’s student radio station).

My interest for now is learning the technical aspects of television and radio broadcasting.

In January 2013, I will start an internship with ABC 4 News in Salt Lake City, Utah.

I hope to one day work and participate in a first-class radio show.

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MY STORIES:

• LGBT community pushes legislation for equal rights in Salt Lake City
• Lack of marriage equality for LGBT hinders immigrants’ ability to come to America
• Gay male athletes are still seeking acceptance from coaches, teammates and fans

MY BLOG:

When I first learned that we would be covering the LGBT beat for this class, I expected it to be relatively easy for me. I have quite a few family members and close friends who are gay or identify with the LGBT community in some way, so I thought I was more familiar with the issues than the average Joe Schmoe.

I was terribly mistaken.

Yes, I had known of people who deal with things in their daily lives that most don’t have to deal with. Yes, I had heard stories of being beaten up or otherwise discriminated against.

But I didn’t really get the depth of it. For instance, I had always sympathized with those who wanted the legalization of same-sex marriage and I felt that Utah should allow some sort of domestic partnership. What didn’t occur to me were the underlying issues such as the ability to adopt children together (with both partners having full parental rights), and the implications on hospital-related care and health benefits.

Writing for an LGBT-related beat helped me take a real interest in what is really going on. Though I pretended to be aware of it before this class, I can definitely say that now I know, and have talked to people who have experienced these issues firsthand. Whereas I previously viewed the LGBT community as a sort of invisible minority, my work this semester has forced me to recognize how sizeable the population really is.

I can also say that the experience has forced me to become a more well-rounded journalist. I was under the impression that all types of journalism are nearly the same, and I thought that my previous experience in sports writing would give me a leg up.

Once again I was proven wrong. The type of writing needed for formulating a story on the real-world experiences of the LGBT community differs greatly from what I might do in a game recap or a sports feature, especially in terms of being sensitive to words or phrases that can be viewed as offensive. When it comes to crafting a story, I think this experience has increased my overall conscientiousness related to story construction and phraseology.

ABOUT ME:

I’m a single, 24-year-old male who loves sports. Unique, aren’t I?

I’ve always had a gift for writing which I thought only came in handy when I had to “B.S.” a school paper at the last minute.

It took me a few years of schooling at the University of Utah before I realized that I wanted to be a journalist. I had dabbled in things like economics and psychology and found them interesting, but I just couldn’t see myself working in those fields long-term.

So I eventually decided to take advantage of my writing ability and be a journalist, specifically, a sports journalist. I started writing for the Daily Utah Chronicle this past summer and though the work was more time consuming than I anticipated, I absolutely loved it.

My editor assigned me to a beat right away, and I was off to cover the women’s soccer team. I was writing about four stories a week, writing anything from game recaps to profiles, some longer some shorter. I quickly discovered that sports writing comes naturally to me, and I rarely have to fiddle with the construction or the flow of my stories.

I am now set to graduate in spring 2013 with a degree in mass communication, and feel content now that I have settled on a career path that I will enjoy.

After graduation I may move to Michigan, where my family lives, if I can find a job with a newspaper out there. I like seeing new places though, and would be happy going wherever the job hunt takes me.

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MY STORIES:

• The difficulties of being LGBT in sports
• LGBT Resource Center connects through Pride Week
• The Paper Moon, a one-of-a-kind bar in Salt Lake City

MY BLOG:

At the beginning of the semester I knew we were going to have to cover a beat regarding the LGBT community. At first I was very worried, as I didn’t know much about the subject matter. But as a journalist I knew the No. 1 thing I had to do was become informed about what was going on in the community.

Be objective and neutral throughout was of essence.

Not knowing a lot about the community and many of the issues the LGBT community faces on a daily basis, I quickly hit the web to try to eat up as much information as I possibly could.

In connection to researching about LGBT issues, I also found that having guest speakers (Kai Medina-Martínez) come into class at the beginning of the semester to talk was very helpful on trying to expand on my ideas to create a story with a unique angle.

Personally, I felt that it was a huge change from what I was used to writing at the Daily Utah Chronicle as the beat writer for the volleyball team. I felt I had to go much more in-depth with topics, and I also found getting interviews became evermore difficult than just talking with players.

Overall I felt that it was great experience for me going out into the actual public and having to discuss topics that I hadn’t previously explored. When it came to interviews I felt like I was actually asking questions to help my personal knowledge of the subjects in the articles i wrote; and since I didn’t know a lot of the answers unlike with sports, I felt it was a great learning experience on how to gather outside information from others and  through research that I might not have known before.

All the interviews this semester really helped me break out of my box and get away from being shy when asking questions. I normally don’t like confronting people about serious questions, so this class really pushed me on that aspect.

ABOUT ME:

I am currently a third-year student at the University of Utah. I plan on graduating with a degree in communication with an emphasis in journalism, as well as a business finance degree at the University. I have always had a passion for sports, but with this class I have gained further knowledge and respect for the journalism aspect as well. With such a bright and gleaming personality, I always enjoy talking with others and finding out how people tick. Each and every person has a unique story about themselves, and getting the chance to find out about their lives through journalism on a daily basis is quite a privilege that I hope to pursue through my entire life.

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MY STORIES:

• Fighting for Utah LGBT rights involves more than just marriage
• Campus resources and policies make the University of Utah attractive for LGBT community
• Affirmation helps gay and lesbian Mormons reconcile their faith and attractions

MY BLOG:

I have found in my life that learning is most rewarding when it is a topic that I knew little about before diving right into it.

That was the situation I was in when starting the COMM 3660 Intermediate Reporting class with Professor Kimberley Mangun. The beat was the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender community.

I was naïve enough to think that the only issue that the LGBT community was dealing with was whether individuals can, or ever will be allowed to be legally married. The struggle and fight for equal rights goes way beyond just marriage.

Brandie Balken, from Equality Utah, started my education as she visited our class and talked about the wide-ranging difficulties that the LGBT community goes through. Lack of equality involves more than just marriage. Balken talked about visitation rights in hospitals, health benefits at work and transferring of inheritance, all of which are made more difficult in Utah because same-sex marriage is not allowed and marriages or civil unions are not recognized in this state.

From the discussion with Balken and taking part in Pride Week 2012 on the University of Utah campus came my first story about the struggles that the LGBT community has to overcome.

Our next guest speaker was C. Kai Medina-Martínez, executive director of the LGBT Resource Center at the U. Medina-Martínez talked about all the good things the university is doing to accommodate the LGBT students. From that discussion came my article about how the U is one of the top-25 schools in the nation for being LGBT-friendly.

My enterprise story was something that sparked my curiosity. As a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, I wanted to see if there were any groups of gay Mormons and how they view the church and their spirituality.

My search led me to a group called Affirmation, which is a group for gay and lesbian Mormons. Starting from the top of the organization, I talked with Joshua Howard Behn, who is president of the group. Talking with Behn and others from the group, I learned of the struggles and fight as far as religion is concerned with the LGBT community.

Overall, I feel like I learned a lot about how extensive the struggles are for the LGBT community and how they go way beyond marriage. The lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender community are happy with any progress but are still looking to be treated as equals.

ABOUT ME:

I am a senior at the University of Utah pursuing a BA in communication with an emphasis in journalism. I am fluent in both English and Spanish.

I started writing in 2008 as a stringer for the Deseret News sports section mainly covering football and soccer games. From there I took a full-time job in 2009 with the Tooele Transcript-Bulletin covering sports and writing a monthly hometown/feature story. I spent over three years at the Transcript until deciding to come back to school and finish up.

While at school in 2012, I have had the experience to have my own two-hour sports/music radio show on the campus radio station K-UTE. I am also performing an internship with the Utah Grizzlies hockey team as I produce the games on the radio at KFAN 1320 AM and help with the radio duties at Maverik Center during home games. I also write a weekly article for the Close-up Section of the Salt Lake Tribune, mainly covering education-related topics for the Valley West section.

My goal would be to become a sports writer for a newspaper but I have also have a fun time writing news and features as well.

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MY STORIES:  

• Utah’s gay and lesbian parental rights
• Studies show no difference for children raised by same-sex parents
• University of Utah named one of top 25 LGBT-friendly university and colleges

MY BLOG:

When I was first found out that our beat for Intermediate Reporting was the LGBTQ community, I had split feelings.  With the election coming up and many states wavering between legalizing gay marriage, I was afraid that writing about this beat would be like beating a dead horse.

The second part of me was really enthusiastic about our beat because I had just attended a protest against Chick-fil-A, in support of my openly gay hair dresser. It was the first indication that lack of equality involves a lot more than just marriage, which led to me to my first story.

I was raised in Decatur, Ill., and moved to Bountiful, Utah, four years ago, so I was fortunate to have been exposed to many different viewpoints. Not having a particularly strong stance either way really allowed me to write my stories objectively.

Professor Kimberley Mangun taught me to analyze any and all topics from many different angles and the AP stylebook is a journalist’s bible.

It is such a broad issue that there was no shortage of original material for me to write.

Our first guest speaker was Brandie Balken, director of Equality Utah. She gave me a new perspective on the wide-ranging difficulties that the LGBT community faces. Balken talked about adoption, work and survivor benefits, visitation rights and many of the other struggles that are faced in Utah.

The first person I interviewed was Jessica Finnegan, a mother of five who is in a lesbian relationship. I was surprised to find out that marriage rights aren’t her No. 1 priority. She is much more concerned about being able to see her partner or her kids if they are hospitalized, or simple things like picking up her son from school or taking her children to the doctor.

The topic of my enterprise story was inspired by my first story. It’s a topic I feel is widely ignored: How do children fare when being raised by same-sex parents?

After conducting interviews and much research, it furthered my belief that everyone deserves equality.

One advantage I found in writing on a single beat was being able to really immerse myself in the topic. For each of my stories I was able to sink my teeth into them because I had done so much research for prior stories.

Overall, I am more confident than ever that I would like to be on the broadcast television side of things and I walk away from this class with a new respect for journalists.

ABOUT ME:

I am a junior at the University of Utah. I am pursuing a degree in mass communication with an emphasis in journalism.

I am starting a sports-reporting internship at local news station KSL in January 2013.

I plan to move to Los Angeles after I graduate to pursue my modeling and broadcast career.

My long-term goal is to become a sports broadcaster for a major news network.

My dream is to be the host of College GameDay on ESPN.

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MY STORIES:

• Inequality for same-sex couples in Utah’s laws
• Gender Blender at University of Utah Pride Week
• Misrepresentation in media portrayal of the LGBT community

MY BLOG:

As a novice writer fairly new to the journalism major, this course was difficult for me, not only because the longest news piece I had ever written before this class was about 400 words long and for an Introduction to News Writing class, but also because the topic was something I had never even thought about reporting on.

The LGBT community is a diverse and colorful group of people that frankly, I didn’t think existed in Utah. Reporting on the LGBT beat this semester was challenging, but also eye opening to the climate in Utah regarding the LGBT community, as well as its presence here.

From University of Utah Pride Week in October to Cyber Slut’s bingo parties to adoption and legal issues to media representation of gays and lesbians, there has been no shortage of material to research and report on. I have learned new things about myself as well as the community I live in.

That being said I believe my future career leads not to writing but to some sort of speaking. I have found that I can get my ideas across much easier when I’m telling someone face to face. As news director of KUTE student radio I really enjoy interviewing people on air and making a personal connection from them to my audience. I have enjoyed the practice this course gave me in writing because I have become, literally, 100 times better than I was when I came to this class, which is a scary thought.

I have become more aware of some of the issues and problems faced by the LGBT community of Utah, such as adoption rights, right to medical power of attorney, job security and bullying. I think that working on a specific beat during the entire semester was a great opportunity to really be able to delve into the subject and have the stories build on one another, not necessarily in content, but in my personal knowledge that I relied on while writing.

Having finished this course I can now proudly claim the title of “Intermediate Reporter.” While this was sometimes a course in the basics of writing, as well as the more intricate ins and outs, it taught me time and again that one of the most important aspects of your writing is connecting to your community and to your audience. After all without an audience, who are we?

ABOUT ME:

I am a communicator with a passion for telling stories. I believe that everyone, everywhere has some sort of story to tell, whether it be long or short, visual or written, happy, sad, funny, moving or encouraging. I am working toward a bachelor’s degree in broadcast journalism and hope to someday have my own talk show telling people’s stories for others to hear. I believe in focusing on the good in life and helping others find it too.

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MY STORIES:

• Pride Week at the University of Utah, a ‘top-25’ LGBT-friendly school
• 2012 election results give LGBT community hope
• ‘I am who I  am’: A profile of one man’s journey toward self-acceptance

MY BLOG:

Attending my first day at the University of Utah was intimidating in itself but walking into intermediate reporting with Dr. Mangun and hearing our beat for the semester was the lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) community, I felt way over my head.

Coming from a significantly sheltered home and community I was very uncomfortable knowing I was about to be shoved from my comfort zone and into the “real world.”

Well, that is exactly what it did. I was pulled from my sheltered box, educated on something I wasn’t sure I wanted to be educated on and learned for myself. I learned a lot about the community, the individuals and the trials they face.

Being from Utah I thought the only real battle the LGBT community was fighting was the legalization of gay marriage.

Yet, that is just the tip of the iceberg. While gay marriage is still important, gay and lesbian individuals just want to be equal. Equality is it. To be recognized as a couple to see their significant other in hospital without paperwork, to receive their partner’s benefits, things you and I may take for granted but will cost a same-sex couple thousands of dollars in lawyer fees to obtain.

There is a gap, there is too much hatred and there is not enough effort to understand. This is on both sides, might I add. Through education I’ve become more conscious of equality efforts or issues in Utah and around the country. I have become more comfortable with stepping outside of my “comfort zone” to educate myself on topics I may initially feel uncomfortable with. Frankly, it is part of life, it is part of the job, and at the end of the day I still know who I am, I still know and value my beliefs.

Education is key, if we take the time to put down our walls as a society, though we may not agree on everything, there would be a lot more harmony and a lot less hate.

ABOUT ME:

I am in my first year of my bachelor’s degree in communication at the University of Utah. I received my Associate of Science degree at USU-Eastern in Price, Utah.

I’ve been dancing since I was 3, so it’s safe to say it’s always been a passion of mine. The way I expressed myself had always been through dancing, until I discovered writing. My interest in writing was sparked during my junior year of high school when I took a creative-writing class. I loved the freedom to be creative and express myself in a way I’d never practiced before. This led me to journalism and through that desire I received a communication department scholarship at USU-Eastern.

I wrote for The Eagle newspaper my first semester. I realized I didn’t like the assigned structure and rules of news writing; it didn’t let me show my personality. I wanted to continue being me, showcasing my personality as an individual and expressing creativity.

I’ve always liked being on camera, and as a child I was referred to as the “ham” of the family. So, I have looked into the TV aspect of journalism. I researched multiple jobs in the field and finally I came to the lifestyles aspect and fell in love. I watched multiple talk shows, researched the field and knew that’s where I belonged. It would allow me to explore the things I was interested in, show my personality and be creative.

My goals in the future are to obtain my degree in broadcast journalism and continue my work at KSL-TV in Salt Lake City, where I want to earn a spot on Studio 5, the lifestyles program.

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MY STORIES:

• Equality Utah and LGBT Resource Center work to prevent bullying
• Immigration and gay rights discussed at the University of Utah
• How Mormonism shaped Salt Lake City gay activist Troy Williams

MY BLOG:

Covering the LGBTQ beat opened my eyes, not because I was surprised at the difficulties that faced the community, but at the privileges I have that some people do not. In a way, I am an outsider. I am a young, white, able-bodied, straight, gender-conforming male. I do not have to worry about censoring something about myself in order to fit in. In talking with Hispanic gay immigrants, I found out that they do have to modify their identities in different communities. They worry about being seen as too Hispanic in the gay community and being seen as too gay in the Hispanic community. It shocked me. I have never had to check any part of my personality, and I realized that it was because I am not a member of a group that has been marginalized. Imagine being told by loved ones or by society that an aspect of who you are is wrong or evil. That is essentially what some in the LGBTQ community go through.

I have learned so much about this beat from my short time reporting on it. I think when most heterosexual people see LGBTQ people they see the stereotypical gay couple who has been portrayed on shows like “Modern Family.” While this is an aspect of a relationship, it is only a segment of life. The LGBTQ community covers so many different areas and people. It is just as diverse as any other group. There isn’t one opinion on issues like gay marriage in the gay community, just as there would be in any other. I may be an outsider looking in on the community, but I’ve learned that I am an ally.

ABOUT ME:

I have lived in Utah my entire life. I grew up in both West Jordan and Taylorsville. The idea of becoming a journalist is a relatively new ambition that I am cultivating. I originally wanted to become a physical therapist but I found that the path I was taking was not fulfilling me. I took a hard look at myself and realized a little over a year ago that I wanted to become a sports broadcast journalist. I couldn’t have made a better choice. While I am still trying to get involved in sports specifically, I have discovered that all types of journalism interest me.

I currently work as a news DJ for K-UTE, which is the college radio station for the University of Utah. I also want to start writing for the U’s school newspaper, the Daily Utah Chronicle, in Spring 2013. I want to see my work published in print because seeing my stories online has been exciting and I want to be able to bring a copy of the paper to my family and friends and show them that I am a journalist.

After I graduate in Summer 2013 I want to start down my career path by getting an internship at a sports radio station and move my way up until I can become a DJ with my own show. I also want to explore print, television and online journalism as well. I do want to attend graduate school too. I want to attend Northwestern University and participate in the Medill Graduate Journalism Program. The reason being is that some of my favorite sports broadcasters, Mike Greenberg and Michael Wilbon, both attended Northwestern. The idea of getting paid to talk about sports on any level and through any medium is my dream.

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